Cybersecurity experts consistently warn against using unsecured or public Wi-Fi networks. When you must connect to one, proceed with caution—avoid any activities involving sensitive or personal information. That means no banking or financial transactions, no logging into personal accounts or email, no online shopping that requires credit card details, and no entering passwords for private services.
Public Wi-Fi is vulnerable to outside interference. Malicious actors can monitor unsecured connections, intercept unencrypted data, and track user activity. But what about company Wi-Fi—does the same risk apply? What can your employer actually see when you browse the internet on a work network?
What Employers Can See on Their Networks
In short, any network administrator—with the proper tools—can monitor unencrypted traffic. Unencrypted traffic is any internet data not protected by secure encryption, such as through HTTPS or a virtual private network (VPN).
A website using HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) encrypts the communication between your device and the destination server. This means that while your employer might see the domains you visit (for example, a particular website), they usually can’t see what pages or content you’re viewing there.
However, not all websites are fully secure, and many online services still send data in unencrypted form. Without a VPN, this information can be intercepted or logged. A VPN encrypts all your outgoing traffic and routes it through a remote server, so the only visible detail to the company’s network administrator is that you’re using a VPN—not where you’re going or what you’re doing.
Treat Company Wi-Fi Like Public Wi-Fi
Even with a secure connection or VPN, it’s wise to avoid questionable or sensitive browsing while on company networks. Better safe than sorry should be your guiding principle.
Avoid visiting adult or inappropriate sites, skip online shopping, and don’t use apps or platforms that handle private data such as banking, finance, email, or messaging services. Law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, have demonstrated how even encrypted messaging data can sometimes be accessed—showing that no connection is completely secure.
It’s also best to refrain from streaming entertainment through sites like YouTube or Netflix, playing online games, or engaging in extensive personal browsing on corporate Wi-Fi. Such activities not only expose you to security risks but may also violate company policies or burden network resources.
If you need to stream, browse, or message privately, use your phone’s mobile data connection instead. Both iPhones and Android devices have built-in VPN features or support third-party VPN services. Setting up a VPN on your phone ensures your traffic stays encrypted even when you occasionally connect to public or workplace Wi-Fi.
Bottom Line
Treat your company Wi-Fi with the same caution you would a coffee shop’s network. Limit personal activity, rely on encryption whenever possible, and remember that the safest data is the one never exposed in the first place.
